Ezel's original cast was different: other names were considered for Cengiz and Kerpeten Ali

It has emerged that different names were considered for two characters who are now identified with their actors in Ezel, one of the most talked-about productions in Turkish television history. In the series that aired in 2009, Barış Falay played Kerpeten Ali and Yiğit Özşener played Cengiz Atay; however, other actors were attached to these roles in the initial 2008 plans.

Hasan Küçükçetin for Cengiz, Ahmet Kural for Kerpeten Ali

Hasan Küçükçetin had said in an interview that he was approached for the character of Cengiz. It also came to light that Ahmet Kural had been considered for the role of Kerpeten Ali.

Küçükçetin's series Menekşe ile Halil ended on 24 May 2008. According to the actor, Ay Yapım founder Kerem Çatay then offered him a new project: Ezel, whose script he liked very much. Küçükçetin says he also took part in promotional shoots. However, the 2008 economic crisis changed the filming schedule, Çatay postponed the project for a while, and plans for the original cast were shelved.

The postponement of Ezel took Küçükçetin's career in another direction. After Caner Kurtaran left Yaprak Dökümü, where he played Şevket, the role was offered to Küçükçetin. The actor said he was initially offered only a 12-episode stint, but his time as Şevket lasted about two and a half years. Küçükçetin had also said that, despite the years that have passed, he still very much wanted to play Cengiz.

Barış Falay first turned the offer down

Barış Falay had shared another notable detail about the cast. Appearing on the Afara programme in 2022, he said he rejected the first offer for Kerpeten Ali without reading the script. When the series was not shot that year, the offer reached Falay again. This time he read the script and was deeply moved by the story, adding that he even considered never reading a television script again if the series failed.

Ezel began airing on Show TV on 28 September 2009. That Kerpeten Ali and Cengiz Atay might have been played by other actors in the early plans remains one of the notable behind-the-scenes details of the series.